Born and raised in Jonesville, Dena Rushton serves her community every day by pursuing her passion for art and sharing it with others through the Hidden Turtle Gallery.
Based out of Jonesville, Rushton rents out space to teach painting lessons, every Thursday and Saturday for $35 per person. Rushton provides a canvas and materials in addition to the instruction.
Rushton said she never imagined she would be teaching art classes..
“About seven years ago, my friend invited me to a ‘Paint and Sip’ event, and from there I was hooked,” Rushton said. “I began watching Bob Ross tutorials religiously, and one day the owner of the craft supply store asked if I was interested in teaching a class.”
Rushton hopes to expand her studio soon and is the process of building a pole barn to host classes. Tracy Needham, a long-time participant in Rushton’s classes, said her painting skills have greatly improved under Needham’s class instruction.
“These are not paint by number or pre-drawn canvases,” Needham said. “You do the work from start to finish and you walk away realizing you can do something out of your comfort zone. That is what Dena provides.”
Halee Jordan, Rushton’s, said she is happy to see Rushton’s passion for art help the community.
“She is a natural artist. I’m so happy that she is willing to share her talents with the community and provide a service and opportunity for others to have fun and learn a new skill,” Jordan said.
In addition to benefiting the community through her art, Rushton said she has a passion for serving in simple, everyday ways.
“There are 100 ways you can give back to the community that are free,” Rushton said.
Rushton said she incorporates service into her daily routine and tries to inspire others to do the same through her social media platform.
“Every morning, I leave the house 10 minutes early for work to walk there and pick up trash along the road. I also send out a good morning picture of something beautiful to my Facebook every day,” Rushton said. “All I want is to take care of the earth because this is all we’ve got. If I’m not doing it, no one else will, and it costs me nothing.”
Rushton also encourages others to donate blood as frequently as possible, which is another free way to give back to the community. Since she was born and raised in the area, Rushton said she feels a duty to care for the home around her.
Additionally, Rushton volunteers at the fairgrounds to aid others artists in setting up antique, professional, and amateur displays, Needham said.
Rushton’s character and perseverance are evident to both Jordan and Needham.
“When she believes in something, she’s all in. She stands up for what she believes in, even when her opinion may not be the popular one,” Jordan said. “She is proud of her faith, and does not hesitate to share her belief in God.”
